PLANS AND PERFORMANCES 47 



What has been said of the natural features of Dunk 

 Island is applicable to the coastal tract extending, say, 300 

 miles, than which no land is more fertile. A very notable 

 advantage is enjoyed here. Brammo Bay is but three or 

 four minutes' steam from the track of vessels which make 

 weekly trips up and down the coast, and by arrangements 

 with the proprietary of one of the lines we have the boon of 

 a regular weekly mail and of cheap carriage of supplies. 

 Without this connecting link, life on the island would have 

 been very different. The Companies running parallel lines 

 of steamers, one skirting the coast and the other outside 

 the islands in deep water, have done much to open up the 

 wealth of the agricultural land of North Queensland. 

 Trade follows the flag. Here the flag of the mercantile 

 marine has frequently been first planted to demonstrate the 

 certainty of trade. 



Without apology, a few facts are submitted which utterly 

 condemn the practicability of one department of island 

 enterprise, and which possibly (without protest) may pro- 

 vide a reason for the placing of other branches of 

 industry beyond the pale of recognition by those who devote 

 every moment of time to, and make never-ending sacrifices 

 of ease and health and comfort on behalf of, what folks 

 term the main chance. When after some expenditure in 

 the purchase of plant and material, and no little labour, the 

 couple of beehives that formed the original stock of a 

 project for the harvesting of the nectar which had hitherto 

 gone to waste or been disposed of by unreflecting birds, 

 had increased to a dozen, and honey of pleasant and vary- 

 ing flavour flowed from the separator at frequent intervals, 

 hopes ran high of the earning of a modest profit from one 

 of the cleanest, nicest, most entertaining and innoxious of 

 pursuits. 



No one who takes up bees and who studies their 

 manners and methods can allow his admiration to remain 

 dormant. It is not the fault of the bees if he does not 

 become ashamed of himself in some respects; nor are 

 they to blame if the wisest men fail quite to comprehend 



